Messi celebrates 100 days since his farewell and 18 years since his first appearance at Barcelona

Barcelona – Lionel Messi He said goodbye to Barcelona on 8 August in tears, and 100 days later his memory at Camp Nou still lingers, far from the stage due to renewed hope personalizing Xavi Hernandez’s arrival on the bench and the surprise signing of his signature. Dani Alves…but his shadow still stretched around the Camp Nou.

So much so that in the more than three months since his departure, there are those who maintain hope, albeit inconsistently, of Leo’s resounding return to FC Barcelona.

He reiterated that his adaptation to Paris Saint-Germain was not as perfect as expected considering the example of Alves, who returned after five years of fruitless search for a successor, believing that Messi could follow the example of his former teammate. She has not disappeared from Barcelona’s imagination, although this is a possibility that is closer to fantasy than to reality.

All this takes place during the recently announced confirmation and this is a reality: without Messi, Barcelona’s team has lost an alarming goal-scoring (15 goals less than last year) and their longing is clear.

Having played the first 16 official matches, Barcelona, ​​who won barely five of them and lost five more to come off the hook in La Liga by 11 points off the lead and play a good role in their Champions League options in the match against Benfica. , scored 21 goals, a dramatic comparison to last season at this point, where he scored 36 goals, lost only two games, and although he was not in better shape in the domestic championship, he already closed his pass to the round of 16 of the highest continental competition.

Joan Laporta said that this was Barcelona, ​​and still is, from Messi, who added seven goals and distributed five assists without any doubt that after months he will bid farewell to the club, forced by circumstances and forced to look for a new destination, Paris Saint-Germain who opened the doors … and where His first months weren’t like a balm. Not to mention the success he suspected.

After being injured upon arrival in Paris, Leo made his debut until August 29, playing the final part of the match in Reims. Even today their numbers and importance have nothing to do with Barcelona teams. He has made 7 of PSG’s first 17 official matches, adding 596 minutes out of a possible 1,530 and scoring three goals (two of which, yes, are vital against RB Leipzig in the Champions League).

Barcelona misses Messi as Messi says as much as Messi misses Barcelona, ​​where his character was unquestioned and untouchable and no longer exists in France, where PSG himself regrets his absence, his small commitment has not been hinted at and he has ventured that he would not honor his contract .

All this continues on the plane just hours before Argentina welcomes Brazil, it is understood that with Leo on the grass, on your way to the World Cup in Qatar, and when exactly 18 years have passed since then away on November 16, 2003, when Messi was unknown in the that time. He made his first-team Barcelona debut in a friendly match against Porto de Mourinho.

Eleven months still had to wait until his debut in an official match and from there his character grew, first under the guidance of Ronaldinho, and later with the role of incombustible captain to become the best footballer to ever wear the Barcelona shirt.